Here are the US 1961 one hit wonders. All the one hit wonder songs by the artists you remember, and maybe some one hit wonders you forgot. Find a one hit wonder.
One Hit Wonders Home Page

Rosie Hamlin wrote Angel Baby when she was 14, and the song became famous when she was 15. She was not listed as the writer on the record. Although Angel Baby was the only top 20 hit for Rosie & The Originals, Rosie followed-up with Lonely Blue Nights, which received minor radio airplay.

Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight was an answer song to 1960 number one song Are You Lonesome Tonight by Elvis Presley. Vaughn Deleath originally popularized Are You Lonesome Tonight in 1924. Thelma Carpenter was a popular singer during the big band era, and sang with many top groups. She also was an actress.

3

(Ghost) Riders In The Sky

Mar 1961

The Ramrods

This instrumental version of (Ghost) Riders In The Sky was a top 20 near miss and by far the most popular song by The Ramrods.

Number 7 hit instrumental song Wheels was a top 20 one hit wonder for The String-A-Longs. The group followed-up with other instrumentals that received moderate airplay. Wheels was written by Richard Stephens and Jimmy Torres.

Instrumental song Asia Minor was based on Piano Concerto in A Minor by Edvard Grieg. Kokomo was actually Jimmy Wisner, hiding his identity from other classically trained musicians. Kokomo was a top 20 one hit wonder, but Jimmy Wisner received some airplay with other songs as Jimmy Wisner Trio also. The 1970s group Kokomo was unrelated.

The Marathons was actually The Vibrations. The record company wanted a group that sounded like The Olympics, so they secretly borrowed The Vibrations. When the record company for The Vibrations found out, it took the song and released it as by Vibrations Recorded As Marathons. The Vibrations, under its correct name, was a top instrumental surf band with many songs like The Watusi. Peanut Butter was written by: Bill Barnum, Martin Cooper, Cliff Goldsmith, Fred Smith.

Those Oldies But Goodies was the only top 20 tune for doo-wop group Little Caesar And The Romans. Fellow group Nino And The Ebb Tides held back to back chart positions with this same song in July, 1961. Little Caesar And The Romans followed up with other songs including Memories Of Those Oldies But Goodies, which included tributes to many classic songs.

You Can't Sit Down was an instrumental top 20 one hit wonder. The 45 RPM single had parts one and two on its sides. Part two was more famous. This was the most popular song by Philip Upchurch Combo, later known as Phil Upchurch. He received slight radio airplay with other songs, like Softly, and played guitar on many records for decades to come.

Pretty Little Angel Eyes was the only top 20 hit for Curtis Lee. He had other songs that received radio airplay including Under The Moon Of Love. Pretty Little Angel Eyes was written by Tommy Boyce and Curtis Lee.

Although This Time was the only top 20 hit for Troy Shondell, some other songs by him received minor radio airplay like Tears From An Angel. Singer Tommy James named his backup band The Shondells after Troy Shondell.

26

Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night

Dec 1961

Kenny Dino

Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night was performed in 1990 by Led Zeppelin member Robert Plant. His version of the song reached number 8 on the rock chart. Kenny Dino was actually Kenny Doino. He received slight airplay with other songs too, like Betty Jean.

Welcome to the chart archive

Tunecaster Music Encyclopedia and Chart Archive includes one hit wonder pages for every year from 1960 through 2000 including 1961.
One Hit Wonders are songs which are the most popular by an artist. There are different views on what qualifies a song for a One Hit Wonder.
A One Hit Wonder could be an artist that had only one song in the top 10, top 20, or even top 40.
On these pages, strictly speaking, an artist is a One Hit Wonder if the artist had exactly one song make the pop or rock top 20.
No artist can be considered a One Hit Wonder who made the top 20 twice. This strict definition may create some strange results
where a super group like Metallica makes the Pop Top 20 charts once, despite a long list of rock number one songs.
Superstar side projects with temporary or transient names may be technical One Hit Wonders.
Additionally, a One Hit Wonder listed on this 1980 page may be a song that is significantly more popular than other songs by the same artist,
even though it did not make the top 20. Is it really a one hit wonder? You decide.